Tuesday, July 31, 2012

July 31

"Diplomacy means all the wicked devices of the Old World, spheres of influence, balances of power, secret treaties, triple alliances, and, during the interim period, appeasement of Fascism."

--Barbara Tuchman, referring to "the deep-seated American distrust ... of diplomacy and diplomats"; Tuchman image from

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

DoD Science and Technology Strategic Communication/Social Media Programs - publicintelligence.net: "Name of Project [:] Echoes in DoD Educational Institutions [-] OSD/OUSD(P)/Support to Public Diplomacy (SPD) will provide to DoD PME 8 books (non-fiction and fiction) and 4 films by Muslims which counter ideological support terrorism (CIST) for use in CIST education, along with Introductory Guides for the 8 books and 4 films. International Media Ventures will handle translation and development of teaching guides, and SOCOM J239 will deliver items to US military educational institutions and socialize the materials. Make insightful, informative Arabic and Urdu media by Muslims which undermine support for violent extremism available to US military in English. Improve our US military capacity for CIST and cultural understanding. ... [Name of Project:] Regional Engagement Plan/Counter-Motivation [-] CMB1 includes several unfunded requirements from State Departments Policy Planning Staff. These UFRs address core public diplomacy problems in countering ideological support to terrorism, youth engagement, and radicalization prevention. The execution of this program will deploy several independent programs into conflict regions using the latest advances in social media and networking technology. Youth Technology Core: Teams of IT-savvy Harvard students recruited to develop and promulgate code for a variety of social networking sites. Deliverables will span from simple applications for existing networks (Facebook) to all-new platforms with associated code. English Language Gaming: Tailorable and marketable games that teach the user English language, customs and culture. One game will be produced for deployment on the $100 Laptop project and another will be produced exclusively for mobile device usage (cell phones, smart phones, etc.)."

Naval Presence Shifts Towards 2020 - informationdissemination.net: "The pivot to the Pacific has completed, and this major pivot ends up being 4 Littoral Combat Ships, 3 amphibious ships, and 2 Joint High Speed Vessels.

I am very unclear how the politics of the pivot to Asia somehow became a public diplomacy centered around the maritime domain with the US Navy doesn't even move a single major surface combatant or submarine to the Pacific as part of this touted pivot." Image from entry

‘Old friends’ reuniting? - Bill's Blogabout: "What is described as an old Cold War alliance among the United States, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, a long-time friend to both countries, seems to be re-emerging as the U.S. seeks to re-establish military ties with Pakistan, according to a report in Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin. The U.S. regards Pakistan as pivotal to its new Asia policy to, in effect, contain China. The U.S. also is bringing Saudi Arabia into this hasty arrangement because of their close ties. At the same time, however, India is keeping a wary eye on Washington’s initiatives, especially after much fanfare by the Obama administration a few months ago with New Delhi for a renewed alliance. 'All this is great ‘public diplomacy,’ said former Indian Ambassador M. K. Bhadrakumar 'But are Indians such duffers as not to begin to seriously wonder what is the meaning of the deep rumblings at their side facing the West where the U.S.-Pakistan security and military tie-up is getting restored?' The U.S.-India relationship, too, is seen as a means of containing China as Washington encourages New Delhi to spread its influence more into the East China Sea which China has declared as being in its own historical domain."

Kremlin Propaganda Boss Lashes Out: Praises Huffington Post, Iran’s Press TV - freebeacon.com: "Margarita Simonyan, the editor in chief of the Kremlin’s worldwide, English-language Internet-video propaganda channel RT, has given an interview to Russian news site Itogi. In the interview, available only in Russian, Ms. Simonyan says of the network 'we fully agree with the foreign policy of this country [Russia].' [JB note: the original Russian is: 'Мы полностью солидарны с внешней политикой своей страны'.] She explains the mission of RT as shouting down the 'multi-million choir' of the Anglo-Saxon media. While deriding cable news competitors like Sky News and Fox, Simonyan

welcomes other state-owned media outlets like Iran’s Press TV and China’s CNC World as allies in Russia’s information war against the West. Simonyan also praises the Huffington Post and Alyona Minkovski, the Moscow-born anchor of RT’s Alyona Show who recently announced her departure from the Kremlin-run channel for a new Huffington Post venture HuffPost Live. Minkovski, much like Russian President Vladimir Putin, brooks no dissent." Simonyan image from article

Public Diplomacy Minister Edelstein's website hacked - Gil Hoffman, Jerusalem Post: "The website of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein (Likud) was hacked overnight Monday. Edelstein called the hacking attack against edelstein.org.il/hebrew 'an act of terror in every way.' He said 'no one will succeed in stopping my work for Israeli public diplomacy and on behalf of the settlers of Judea and Samaria. We defeat our enemies everyday on every front and we will continue to do so on the Internet and in the media as well.' Edelstein is frequently criticized in the Arab media and social networking sites because he is perceived as being in charge of Israeli propaganda."

Participants at First Meeting on Public Diplomacy Call for a halt to seasonal and folkloric diplomacy - Karima Rhanem, Morocco World News: "Participants at the First Meeting on Public Diplomacy, organized by the Moroccan Association for Development and Parallel Diplomacy (AMADIP) in Rabat on July 27 and 28, at the Higher Institute of Information and Communication, stressed the need to unify visions and efforts of public diplomacy actors and have a proactive approach to diplomacy instead of a seasonal and folkloric one. Participants also called on the government to respect the principle of participative democracy and transparency in consulting with different actors of public diplomacy. Mustafa El Khalfi, Minister of Communication and Government spokesman, called for the launch of a project to measure the image of Morocco in the world. He also stressed the need for capacity building of public diplomacy actors. For his part, Driss El Yazami, president of the council of the Moroccan community abroad, highlighted the importance of involving the nearly 4 million members of the Moroccan community living abroad in public diplomacy efforts as they are Morocco’s Ambassadors, contributing to promote its image and interests in the world. Karim Medrek, Director of the Directorate of Public Diplomacy and Non-State Actors of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, stated that his ministry is working to develop a strategy for activating the role of non-state actors in public diplomacy. He also expressed the ministry awareness of the need to involve all actors in building integrated public policies in order to face various challenges affecting Morocco’s foreign relations of Morocco with the rest of the world. Soumia Benkhaldoune, advidor to the Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament and Civil Society, expressed the ministry’s willingness to coordinate with civil society actors and those concerned with public diplomacy and official bodies in order to ensure coordination and collaboration in the field of public diplomacy. Director of the Institute for Information and Communication Mr. Issi Ali Aarab, and Mr. Driss Drissi, president of Senior Employees Forum of SNRT TV and Radio have emphasized the importance of the role of media in the marketing of Morocco’s branding as a modern state and the promotion of its values and main issues through public and digital media. Karima Rhanem, president of the Moroccan Association for Development and Parallel Diplomacy, and organizer of the event, stated that civil society, and public opinion in general, have been able to become an important equation in international affairs, making of public and parallel diplomacy one of the mechanisms to promote the country’s social, economic, cultural and political causes and values. This has also significantly contributed to enhancing communication and respect among different civilizations, and promoting peaceful interaction and cooperation among one another [.] 'Only through a strong partnership between official and public and parallel diplomacy – whether parliamentarian, economic, cultural, political and through civil society and media – we can effectively well position Morocco in the map of international politics,' said Karima Rhanem, AMADIP president. She also stressed that the management of foreign policy has become a key national issue, which requires a deep and frank national debate more specifically on the process of decision making, channels of communications, and the factors influencing official and non state actors in public diplomacy.

The meeting had touched on the problem of consensus on the key strategic directions of Moroccan diplomacy, the issue of coordination and complementarily between actors and their inclusion in the development of general public diplomacy strategies to avoid the risk of incoherence and contradiction of the general objectives of Moroccan diplomacy. The meeting also stressed the importance of capacity building to support the effectiveness of key public diplomacy actors while maintaining their independence, and enabling components of civil society and Moroccans Living abroad with public diplomacy experience based on scientific approach and field work. The issue of governance and transparency in dealing with the various public diplomacy actors was also among the important points raised by participants as key to enabling all actors and raising their awareness about the valuable contributions they can make at the service of the country’s national causes and interests [.] The meeting is organized in close collaboration with the Higher Institute of Information and Communication, the SNRT TV forum, the Washington Moroccan American Club, Friends of the Moroccan Sahara in Spain, and Morocco World News. It was attended by diplomats, media representatives’ civil society, parliamentarians and academia, in addition to members of the Moroccan community abroad, more specifically in the United States, Spain, France, Italy and Saudi Arabia. The association is currently working with its partners to issue the Rabat Declaration on a new vision for public diplomacy based on the recommendations proposed during the meeting. The declaration will be announced in the coming days during the press conference. The AMADIP, created in February 2012, aims at promoting national causes and values through a public diplomacy that strengthens friendship ties, reinforcing the values of tolerance, peace, exchange and intercultural dialogue among peoples of the world, thereby strengthening and expanding development partnerships at the national and international levels." Image from article

s speech showed that a more active U.S. China positioning [sic] - qnapoker.com: "Moderator: Also yesterday, President Obama in the dialogue also mentioned that the United States to Chinese students will reach 10 million, this figure is said, many people will be surprised that so many thousands of people. In addition, part of it comes at the end of our cooperation beyond intergovernmental cooperation should be based on people-based, you feel kind of public diplomacy in his foreign relations in the Obama administration, accounted occupy how position, do you think can play what role in promoting Sino-US cultural identity or the friendship between the people in the Obama Ma Duihua policy strategy [.] ... Obama said the U.S. government will take active measures to support Chinese students, this is good. Reached 100,000 people in fact much more than the number of U.S. students studying in China, thousands of people in the future is not enough, I hope the 50 million or more. Public diplomacy, a broader, just answer the

first question, the United States Barack Obama as now a great asset to this public diplomacy is part of President Obama personally engage in public diplomacy, such as dialogue in Shanghai. Broadly speaking, public diplomacy is very important for the normal development of Sino-US relations, but also conducive to China and the United States as a great national, cultural exchange, to communicate with people, in any case the normal relations between China and the United States should have the comparison one of the important part of the basis. But on the other hand, abercrombie, things in the world is not the solution to a problem or advancing a problem, all other problems can be solved. I want to do a good job in public diplomacy, to do a good job in the inter-governmental diplomacy, especially the inter-governmental diplomacy, done well, but also contribute to further health and development of public diplomacy, for example, ralph lauren pas cher, if the official Sino-US relations is done well, so may inhibit the erroneous view of the U.S. public opinion, but also conducive to the development of communication and public relations between the two peoples." Image from

Zhao said that the foreign understanding of Chinese long-term process can not Ji [sic] - adwords-questions.com: "Zhao concluded that,abercrombie, to carry out the foreigners to understand China is a long process,abercrombie pas cher, not instant success,abercrombie pas cher, the development of China’s public diplomacy is still promising. ‘s political views is to set up a Tibetan, abercrombie france, the Chinese quarter of the population into his parish. We always said he is not a religion,abercrombie, is to split the molecules, abercrombie, the story did not clear completely rely on the diplomat said it is not enough to please the Tibetans,abercrombie pas cher, the Lama said,abercrombie france, and perhaps clear." Image from

Li Xiaolin diplomatic personnel need to bite the bullet for the country to seek - adwords-questions.com: "She also said that China is whether it is in public diplomacy or civil diplomatic level,abercrombie, efforts need to be. 'We need to cultivate the talents of a group of able to cope with the backbone of the international diplomatic occasions,abercrombie, they must not only doing things to ease, abercrombie france, to be able to bite the bullet, polo ralph lauren pas cher, fight for a longer period of strategic opportunities for China to make our economy and livelihood development in a favorable international environment. Li Xiaolin said.'

Chinese leaders frequently visit the spring of Foreign Affairs is about to wrap - question2reponse.com: "Qu Xing: In recent years, chaussures louboutin, with China’s development, foreign attention on China’s increasingly high. With the development of information technology of the networked world, ordinary people influence government decision-making. Exchanges between countries, not only at the government level have an official government activities, focusing on the exchange of ordinary people is also very important. China in recent years to strengthen public diplomacy is an important way. Prime Minister with the Polish people in the streets of a small classification has attracted a lot of local people, tourists, and they all gathered to watch.

Random exchanges, the Prime Minister passed to the Polish people’s friendly feelings of the Chinese people, and also enable the two peoples to enhance communication and understanding. So, I think this is to strengthen public diplomacy, christian louboutin, the brush on the adaptation of modern public opinion, the characteristics of foreign direct effect on the other side of civil. The entire speech lasted over 40 minutes, counting a moment, to win the applause of up to more than 20 times in the speech process, there are seven times his speech was interrupted by enthusiastic applause. ... Vice President Xi Jinping the Dvorák Cech and his wife said, 'remember, I live in your son’s bedroom, you have a lovely daughter, she asked me a lot of curious questions.' Why the seemingly 'free pen' tight visit schedule of the national leaders will be the activities of ordinary people Director of the China Institute of International Studies, said Qu Xing, these seemingly 'free pen ' public diplomacy activities, it is precisely the diplomatic 'flash in the pan.[']" Image from

The State Council issued the Red Cross cause the [sic] - adapter-battery-store.com: "The view that the Red Cross Society of China as the uniform of the People’s Republic of China Red Cross organization and an important member of the International Red Cross Movement, China’s economic and social development to make an important contribution to become an important force in the socialist harmonious society, spiritual civilization Batterie pour Caméscope force and an important channel for public diplomacy. The Red Cross is an important part of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the development of the Red Cross is to strengthen and innovate the public administration, to protect and improve the reality of people’s livelihood needs, promote the Red Cross spirit of strengthening the socialist core value system."

What we're seeing, in the most violent form imaginable, is a sweeping message from our Afghan allies, from the security forces Washington plans to continue supporting long after most American troops have been withdrawn. To the extent that bullets can be translated into words, that message would be something like "Your mission has failed; get out or die." Image from

Report: Anti-Americanism handicaps U.S. aid in Pakistan - Ashish Kumar Sen, Washington Times: High levels of anti-Americanism in Pakistan have “handicapped” U.S. efforts to support development in the South Asian nation, according to a new study. The Center for Global Development, in a report released Monday, urged the United States to work with the World Bank and other international aid agencies with programs in Pakistan. Recent polls have found high levels of anti-Americanism among Pakistanis, fueled in part by U.S. drone strikes on terrorist suspects in the tribal border region with Afghanistan. A survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project earlier this year found roughly three-in-four Pakistanis consider the United States an enemy. Milan Vaishnav, a co-author of the report, said, “Because security concerns dominate U.S. policy towards Pakistan, there is no consensus across government agencies on the U.S. development strategy.” Since the passage of the legislation in October 2009, the U.S. government has disbursed $2.8 billion in civilian assistance, including roughly $1 billion in emergency humanitarian assistance to Pakistan, according to the State Department. “The problem is not just the tumultuous environment in Pakistan,” the report said. “It is also a matter of self-inflicted wounds: unrealistic expectations associated with new money (more money, in retrospect, brought on more not fewer problems); the system-wide shortcomings of U.S. aid programs throughout the world; and the political difficulty of dealing with a reluctant Congress on new trade and private sector support programs for developing countries.”

Snapshot: US Mission Iraq Staffing as of July 2012 - Domani Spero, DiploPundit: The following numbers and info from the July 30 SIGIR report: As of early July, according to DoS, 15,007 personnel were supporting the U.S. Mission in Iraq: 1,235 U.S. government civilian employees (includes full-time and temporary government employees and personal-services contractors) 13,772 contractor personnel (U.S., Iraqi, and third-country nationals), 5,737 of whom were providing security services.

Vietnam blogger's mother 'dies in self-immolation' - bangkokpost.com: The mother of a prominent Vietnamese blogger has died after setting herself on fire ahead of her daughter's trial for propaganda against the Communist state, people close to the family said Monday. Ho Chi Minh City's 7th military zone stadium is seen in 2007. The mother of a prominent Vietnamese blogger has died after setting herself on fire ahead of her daughter's trial for propaganda against the Communist state, sources close to the family said. Ta Phong Tan, a 43-year-old Catholic former policewoman, was arrested in September 2011 and has been held in detention along with two other bloggers, one of whose case has been raised by US President Barack Obama. Tan's mother Dang Thi Kim Lieng set herself ablaze early Monday, according to Catholic activists and lawyers whose accounts to AFP were corroborated by reports on dissident blogs and the BBC's Vietnamese-language service.

But then something remarkable and unexpected happened. Some Western journalists began telling the truth about the origins of the conflict, the true motives behind the West's anti-Syria propaganda, and the nature of the unpopular Syrian opposition. The spell was broken. Image from entry, with caption: What is written in the press is lies. What is hidden in plain view is the truth.

The link to slavery, which scholars of genealogy and race in the United States called remarkable, was found to have existed approximately 400 years back in the lineage of Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham. It was discovered by a team of four genealogists from Ancestry.com whose findings from two years of work were released in a report Monday. Using property and tax records, the team uncovered “a lot of context and circumstantial evidence” that points to an enslaved black man named John Punch being Obama’s ancestor, said Joseph Shumway, one of the genealogists who worked on the report. Because his father immigrated from Kenya and his mother, who was born in Kansas, was white, Obama was thought to have no direct ancestral links to slaves. Image from

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About Me

a Princeton PhD, was a US diplomat for over 20 years, mostly in Eastern Europe, and was promoted to the Senior Foreign Service in 1997. For the "Open World Leadership Center Trust Fund" program, he lectures to its participants on the topic of "E Pluribus Unum? What Keeps the United States United." Currently affiliated with Georgetown University, he writes and shares ideas about public diplomacy. He is particularly interested in the relationship between public diplomacy and propaganda.
The papers of his deceased father -- poet and diplomat John L. Brown -- are stored at Georgetown University Special Collections at the Lauinger Library. A partial description of these papers (some 80 boxes of material, valuable to researchers interested in post-WWII U.S.-European cultural relations) is available online.
This blog is dedicated to him, Dr. John Lackey Brown, who wrote in the Foreign Service Journal (1964): "The CAO [Cultural Affairs Officer] soon comes to realize that his job is really a form of love-making and that making love is never really successful unless both partners are participating." These wise and tender words were written years before "soft power" was ever coined.